ST. LOUIS – A 16-year-old boy gunned down in a park in the middle of an August afternoon. The victim’s father says his son was autistic and did not have enemies.
Detectives have a person of interest but need more to make an arrest.
Jermar Russell says his 16-year-old son, Trevon, was quite the artist.
“He got big into drawing and he really liked doing sketches of presidents,” Jermar said. “He was a pretty great artist.”
Jermar says Trevon was autistic, but that wasn’t stopping him. Trevon’s latest plan was to try out for the basketball team.
On August 2, 2018, Trevon was looking forward to his junior year at Nottingham High School. On that afternoon, he was hanging out in Mt. Pleasant Park near his home.
Homicide investigator Lt. Scott Aubuchon, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, says Trevon was by the swing set when a silver Range Rover began circling the park.
“I don’t know if Trevon recognized it, if he perceived it as a threat, if he was even aware of it, but this silver Ranger Rover circles the block once or twice, pulls to a stop, and then a young black male gets out and begins firing on Trevon,” Aubuchon said.
Jermar says he was at work when he got a call from his dad, telling him that Trevon had been shot.
“Like I said, he was autistic. You can tell a difference … I am not saying he wasn’t normal but you can tell a difference,” Jermar said. “If it was one of his peers I call it they were bullying him.”
Trevon was brought to SLU Hospital but doctors were unable to save him.
Though it’s been more than a year since Trevon’s murder, Jermar says every day is still difficult.
“I just mustered enough courage to start going in his room and moving his stuff out,” he said. “His room still smells like him. It still has that funky, 16-year-old smell in there.”
Meanwhile, Lt. Aubuchon says detectives learned that the range rover had been stolen prior to the shooting. He says they have a person of interest but they need a few more facts and witnesses to bolster their case.
Jermar says he always tried to teach Trevon that hard work pays off and to be a leader, not a follower. He’s hoping others now take that same advice.
CrimeStoppers is offering up to $5,000 for any information leading to an arrest in this case. All tips are anonymous. You can email or call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS.
